Conducting Classicism: Theory and Practice in Late Nineteenth-Century Orchestral Performances of Beethoven's Symphonies

Abstract

This thesis explores the orchestral performance practice of the late nineteenth century,specifically how it pertained to conductors’ interpretations of Beethoven’s symphonies. By this time, two competing conducting styles were widely perceived to have existed with respect to these works: a Classical and a Romantic aesthetic, each of which claimed to best fulfill the composer’s intentions. The former stressed the need for transparency with the performer maintaining steady tempi with little interference from the conductor, whereas the latter emphasized the active involvement of the conductor, particularly through wide ranging tempo modifications. While scholars have analyzed written nineteenth-century sources that describe these conducting styles, it is much less clear how they were manifested in actual performances. Likewise, studies of early orchestral recordings tend not to contextualize their findings with nineteenth-century aesthetic debates, preferring instead to contrast these performance styles with those practiced today. By comparing concert reviews to early recordings of Beethoven’s symphonies made by conductors born in the nineteenth century, I elucidate precisely how the descriptive language of observers of concerts during the late-Romantic era corresponded to the sounds they heard. I argue that a clear distinction can be made between the Classical and Romantic approaches to conducting an orchestra, while maintaining that the differences were often more nuanced than observers liked to admit.